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How to be a better golfer – Short Game

Like most golfers, you probably want to score better and win one or two of the club competitions. If this is you, a sure fire way to do this is to improve your short game.

So what is your short game? It’s anything within 100 yards of the pin. So this pitching wedge down to putter. When practising, the majority of your time should be spent on this area of your game.

Short game includes approach shots as mentioned to chipping, pitching and putting. Your improving short game will guarantee better scores every time you play. It will be immediate, obvious and a key aspect to improving your handicap.

An important aspect of the short game is accuracy. Practice should be focused on controlling the ball with your wedges and putter. Understanding what capabilities you have with each club will improve your accuracy, which will result in fewer less shots taken on each round. Each wedge in your bag can be used to manufacture several different shots. The more confident you are to execute each shot the more likely you are to achieve the desired results.

For longer wedge approaches the driving range is the place to spend hours practising. Generally a decent range will provide flags at distances applicable to a comparable approach out on the course. Your aim should be to target the flags and leave the ball within a reasonable putts distance. For shorter chips, a practice green (which allows chipping practice!!!) would be where you should spend your time whilst your mates or playing partners are on the range trying to hit the back fence of the range with their driver.

Practice abbreviated swings, softer controlled shots with the ultimate target to land/stop the ball close to the holes within a make-able putts distance. These shots can save so many shots on a scorecard.

With putting it goes without saying that it needs to take most of you r focus when practising. Short, long and anything in-between needs to be worked on. Do as the professionals do…drive for show, put for dough.